1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a firing mechanism for the gun bolts of a Gatling type gun.
2. Prior Art
The conventional modern Gatling type gun includes a plurality of gun bolts, each having a firing pin which is energized by a spring which is compressed and then released. In guns of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,341, issued to R. E. Chiabrandy on Apr. 30, 1968, a single main spring sequentially operates each of a plurality of firing pins on respective gun bolts. When the gun is safed, the tip of the firing pin is still able to project forward of the face of the gun bolt. In guns of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,710, issued to R. G. Kirkpatricck on Nov. 24, 1981, each gun bolt has a respective firing pin and spring. Each spring is sequentially compressed and then released to project the tip of the pin forward of the bolt face. Each spring is compressed by a cocking pin riding on a ramp cam surface and then released by the cocking pin passing off the surface, as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,927, issued to D. P. Tassie on Nov. 23, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,928 issued to Q. T. Sawyer on Nov. 23, 1982; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,325 issued to R. R. Snyder et al on June 23, 1981. In each case, to safe the gun, a continuum for the ramp cam surface is provided. If the continuum is not effectively provided, the pin may be free to project forward of the bolt face.